Our doctors work with pain management doctors, orthopedic doctors, neurosurgeons, general practitioners, and chiropractors in administering spinal decompression therapies.
Spinal decompression therapy is used to treat bulging/herniated discs, and facet syndrome throughout the spine. This is a non-surgical, comfortable traction therapy for the relief of back and leg pain or neck and arm pain. During this procedure, by cycling through distraction and relaxation phases and by proper positioning, a spinal disc can be isolated and placed under negative pressure, causing a vacuum effect within it.
The vacuum effect accomplishes two things. From a mechanical standpoint, disc material that has protruded or herniated outside the normal confines of the disc can be pulled back within the disc by the vacuum created within the disc. Also, the vacuum within the disc stimulates in growth of blood supply, secondarily stimulating a healing response. This results in pain reduction and proper healing at the injured site.
Spinal decompression therapy is designed to decrease the pressure (or load) on the intervertebral discs, which are “gel-like” cushions between the bones in the spine. The intervertebral discs are commonly injured and often exhibit degenerative changes throughout one’s life. This often leads to back and neck pain as well as pain and/or numbness that radiate into the arms and legs. As such, maintaining the health and integrity of the intervertebral discs is critical for our wellness and overall quality of life.
Back or neck pain caused by an injured disc could be alleviated by spinal decompression therapy. Common disc-related conditions include herniated, protruding, or bulging discs, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy (pinched nerves), and sciatica. Spinal decompression therapy is also extremely beneficial for individuals that maintain a seated position for prolonged periods of time (often due to occupational requirements). This is because the seated position loads the lumbar discs more than other postures (such as standing or laying down). As such, many of us are progressively compressing our discs throughout each day. And spinal decompression helps counter the daily pressure that is exerted upon the discs (therefore helping to maintain its health and integrity).
The spinal decompression therapy utilized in our office is “dynamic,” which means that it intermittently decompresses the spine. Specifically, it stretches your spine in a way that alternates between a high pressure and a low pressure. This allows for a safe and comfortable stretch that most patients thoroughly enjoy. This form of decompression is also extremely helpful for patients with tight muscles and degenerative arthritis. In fact, decompression therapy is often the best form of treatment for those with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis because it applies a controlled stretch to areas of the spine that are otherwise extremely difficult to mobilize through other manual methods.
It should be noted that spinal decompression therapy is also effective for the cervical region (the neck). Neck pain as well as symptoms that radiate down the arms has become increasing common due to poor posture and daily habits that involve us looking down at our phones and/or computer screens. This “slumped-forward” and “head-tilted-down” posture exponentially increases the pressure on the discs in the mid and lower regions of the cervical spine. And as such, these are the areas that often become degenerative and irritate the nerves that travel down the arms. Spinal decompression therapy is an effective and safe tool for treating these conditions. Furthermore, spinal decompression is commonly used to treat “reversals” of the normal cervical curve (a cervical kyphosis). As noted earlier - poor posture and improper ergonomics commonly alters the curvature in the cervical spine. The spinal decompression tables that we utilize can stretch the cervical spine at a variety of angles (which we specify), and this overtime can improve its curvature. So not only does spinal decompression treat pain, headaches, disc injuries, and degeneration that often occurs in the cervical spine – but it can also be used as a rehabilitative tool for improving the postural syndromes that have become increasingly common in today’s society.
Non-surgical spinal decompression is a type of motorized traction used to stretch the spine gently.
The process takes the pressure off the spinal disk by creating negative pressure in the disc. This process results in the impacted disks retracting and thus taking pressure off nerves and other structures in your spine. Spinal decompression ultimately promotes the movement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids into the disks to aid natural healing.
Non-surgical spinal decompression can be used to relieve the following:
Your doctor may suggest additional therapies to aid spinal decompression therapy. These therapies include:
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Here at Palmercare Chiropractic we do our best to not only get you healthy but keep you healthy! Chiropractic care is one of the most important aspects of healthcare in order to achieve optimal health. Chiropractic care is based off the concept of eliminating misalignment and nerve interference of the spine.
As a Chiropractors we focus and work on your nervous system removing subluxations, getting the nerves turned on and firing so your body is able to heal itself as it should and perform at optimal levels!
Chiropractic care is so much more than a quick fix for neck and back pain. Babies and children struggling with bedwetting, colic, ear infections, and feeding issues can find relief with chiropractic care too! Find out more about what we can do to help your little one by contacting Palmercare chiropracter today!
